Ten 3-year-old fillies are scheduled to clash at 1 1/4 miles on dirt in the Grade I Alabama Stakes at Saratoga this Saturday (Aug. 19).
Before I get to my selections for this year’s Alabama, I did a little digging to find out how in the heck this race at a New York track got its name.
Was this race first run in Alabama and then moved to New York? No.
Many stakes races are named after a horse. Does the Alabama Stakes get its name from an outstanding filly from way back when? Nope.
The first running of the Alabama Stakes in 1872 originally was intended to be named after prominent owner and breeder William Cottrill. A modest individual, Cottrill insisted that the race not be named after him. Thus, there would be no Cottrill Stakes to go along with the Travers Stakes for 3-year-olds, named after William R. Travers, president of the Saratoga Racing Association. As a compromise, to comply with Cottrill’s wishes to not name the race after him, track management instead named it after his home state. He was a native of Mobile, Ala.
While researching how the Alabama Stakes got its name in 1872, I found out that Cottrill won the 1884 Kentucky Derby with Buchanan. Cottrill owned the colt in partnership with Samuel S. Brown.
Guiding Buchanan to his Kentucky Derby victory for Cottrill and Brown was none other than one of the greatest jockeys of all time, Isaac Murphy. An African-American, Murphy had “a natural rapport with horses that bordered on the occult,” William H.P. Robertston wrote in his book “The History of Thoroughbred Racing in America.”
“Disdaining indiscriminate use of whip and spur,” Robertson continued, “Murphy got the most out of his mounts by coaxing and nursing, never asking them to do more than win -- which they did with fantastic frequency, as his lifetime record of 628 victories in 1,412 races will attest. Murphy’s overall 44 percent winning average has never been approached.”
Murphy was honored as an original inductee into racing’s national Hall of Fame in 1955.
In 1884, Buchanan became the first maiden to win the Kentucky Derby. He also won it in his first start of the year, not an easy task since it was a 1 1/2-mile race at that time.
In the book “The Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes,” Richard Sowers wrote: “Issac Murphy clearly stated that he didn’t want to ride Buchanan in the Kentucky Derby. Perhaps it was because Buchanan had been winless in six starts as a juvenile, although he had demonstrated considerable promise: five runner-up finishes and a third-place showing.”
Buchanan’s demeanor was another possible reason Murphy did not want to ride the colt in the Kentucky Derby. Contemporary accounts described Buchanan as being “difficult and unruly.”
According to Sowers, Murphy had a contract to ride for trainer William Bird, a fellow African-American, and Louisville Jockey Club officials insisted that Murphy either honor the contract and ride Buchanan or skip the race.
Murphy relented and rode Buchanan to a one-length victory. Murphy would go on to win the Kentucky Derby twice more, aboard Riley in 1890 and Kingman in 1891.
When Buchanan won the Kentucky Derby, Murphy was one of many African-American jockeys involved in the sport. In “The First Kentucky Derby,” an excellent new book written by Mark Shrager, he points out that 13 of the 15 jockeys in the first Kentucky Derby were African-American, including Oliver Lewis, who rode the victorious Aristides. In fact, an African-American jockey won 15 of the first 28 Kentucky Derbies.
In “The First Kentucky Derby,” Shrager writes entertainingly about “one shady owner,” H. Price McGrath, known for being a big-time gambler, and Aristides, “the little red horse that wasn’t supposed to win” the first Derby.
Aristides did win that first Kentucky Derby despite having been put in the race as a “rabbit” for his more highly regarded and more accomplished stablemate, Chesapeake, who finished eighth.
An informative chapter titled “The Rise and Fall of the Black Jockey in America” details how African-American jockeys went from playing a vital role in American racing to their virtual disappearance.
I highly recommend Shragar’s book to anyone who, like yours truly, has an interest in horse racing’s history.
The Cottrill Stakes -- oops, I mean Alabama Stakes -- has been won by such outstanding fillies as Gamely, Shuvee, Desert Vixen, Mom’s Command, Go for Wand, Sky Beauty, Heavenly Prize, Silverbulletday, Blind Luck, Royal Delta, Songbird, Swiss Skydiver, Malathaat and Nest last year.
The favorite this year is expected to be Wet Paint, trained by Brad Cox.
It appears that the 1 1/4-mile distance of the Alabama will be a plus for Wet Paint, a stretch-running Kentucky-bred Blame filly. Wet Paint rallied to win Saratoga’s Grade I Coaching Club American Oaks by a neck at the shorter trip of 1 1/8 miles on July 22.
I am going to try to beat Wet Paint with Sacred Wish. After stalking the early pace in the CCA Oaks, Sacred Wish had a 2 1/2-length lead with a furlong to go, only to get nailed by Wet Paint in the closing yards.
If Sacred Wish could not quite hold off Wet Paint in a 1 1/8-mile race, it’s fair for you to wonder why I believe Sacred Wish can win this longer 1 1/4-mile race. I think it’s going to help Sacred Wish that her jockey in the Alabama, Manny Franco, is more familiar with her after riding the filly for the first time in the CCA Oaks.
In the CCA Oaks, Franco opened up a clear lead on Sacred Wish in upper stretch. Franco was being aggressive and trying to get the jump on everyone, which was understandable in that he was riding a 10-1 shot. I applaud Franco for doing that. It nearly worked.
But I think Franco might ride Sacred Wish a bit differently this time. I expect Franco to have more confidence in Sacred Wish and ride her more patiently, especially since the Alabama is a furlong longer than the CCA Oaks. If that happens, it just might be the key to Sacred Wish winning the Alabama and turning the tables on likely favorite Wet Paint.
Below are my Alabama Stakes selections:
1. Sacred Wish
2. Wet Paint
3. Gambling Girl
4. Julia Shining
Gambling Girl belongs on the list of Alabama contenders. She’s attempting to rebound from an 8 3/4-length defeat as the 6-5 favorite when third in the CCA Oaks. She was the CCA Oaks chalk after finishing a close second in the Grade I Kentucky Oaks.
Julia Shining, who has a regal pedigree as a daughter of Curlin and Dreaming of Julia, has not been postward since finishing third in the Grade I Ashland Stakes at Keeneland on April 7. Winner of the Grade II Demoiselle Stakes at 2, Julia Shining has the breeding to suggest that she might get better as she gets older, like a fine wine. I think there is a possibility she becomes a top filly during the second half of this year or, if not, perhaps next year.
DEL MAR OAKS SELECTIONS
This Saturday’s Grade I Del Mar Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on turf has enticed a field of 10.
Like the Alabama, the honor roll of past Del Mar Oaks winners has many outstanding fillies on it, such as Turkish Trousers, Taisez Vous, Heartlight No. One, Hidden Light, Flawlessly, Hollywood Wildcat, Twice the Vice, Golden Apples, Evening Jewel, Going Global and Spendarella last year.
My choice in this year’s Del Mar Oaks is Anisette, who is two for two this year in this country after racing in Great Britain last year. Both wins this year have come in grass races. She won one of three starts last year, all in races on synthetic footing.
In her first 2023 start, Anisette trailed early in the field of 12, then rocketed home to win a one-mile Santa Anita allowance race by three-quarters of a length on May 29. She competed against older opponents on that occasion.
Running against 3-year-olds only in Del Mar’s Grade II San Clemente Stakes at one mile on July 22, Anisette was 10th early in the field of 14. Again closing furiously, she took the lead in upper stretch and drew clear to win with authority by 2 1/2 lengths.
Anisette gives every indication to me that she is going to relish going a furlong farther in the Del Mar Oaks.
Leonard Powell trains Anisette, a Great Britain-bred Awtaad filly. Powell won the 2018 Del Mar Oaks with Fatale Bere.
Below are my Del Mar Oaks selections:
1. Anisette
2. Window Shopping
3. Be Your Best
4. Big Pond
Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella won the 2003 Del Mar Oaks with Dessert. Mandella has Window Shopping and Ruby Nell entered in this year’s renewal.
Window Shopping is the more accomplished of the Mandella-trained duo. The Kentucky-bred filly, a daughter of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, is switching back to turf after winning Santa Anita’s Grade II Summertime Oaks on dirt June 3.
In Window Shopping’s only grass start, she finished sixth at Del Mar last Nov. 13 in her career debut. She has improved dramatically since that Nov. 13 race in which she recorded a 64 Beyer Speed Figure. She received an 85 Beyer for her Summertime Oaks triumph.
Ruby Nell is making her stakes debut Saturday. On the plus side, she goes into the Del Mar Oaks having put together back-to-back wins on turf.
Be Your Best was an early pace factor before finishing ninth in the Grade I Belmont Oaks Invitational at 1 1/4 miles on turf July 8. She should benefit from Saturday’s shorter 1 1/8-mile trip. Be Your Best lost the 1 1/8-mile Wonder Again Stakes by only a neck when the runner-up in that Grade II grass affair at Belmont Park on June 11.
Big Pond is interesting to me in the Del Mar Oaks. Granted, the California-bred filly is meeting tougher after winning her first two starts. But I believe that she just might be good enough to do well Saturday.
When last seen under silks, Big Pond won Del Mar’s seven-furlong Fleet Treat Stakes at 7-2 against state-breds. Among the vanquished that day was Ceiling Crusher, who finished third as a 1-5 favorite in her first career loss after winning the Evening Jewel Stakes by 15 1/2 lengths and Melair Stakes by 17 lengths, both at Santa Anita.
This will be Big Pond’s first start on turf. I won’t be surprised if she becomes an effective grass runner.
FIVE STAR GENERAL WINS LONGACRES MILE
“When this year’s Longacres Mile is over, I’m hoping that they are saluting a general in the winner’s circle,” I wrote for Xpressbet.com last week.
Well, it turned out that they were indeed saluting my top pick, Five Star General, in the winner’s circle after the Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs last Sunday (Aug. 13).
Five Star General won by 1 1/2 lengths and made history. He became the first horse in the 88-year existence of the Longacres Mile to finish third or better in four consecutive renewals, all for a different trainer.
When Five Star General finished third in 2020, 2021 and 2022, his trainers were Glen Todd, then Sandi Gann, then Doris Harwood.
Grant Forster trained Five Star General for this year’s victory. Forster said that while he was growing up in Vancouver, B.C., winning the Longacres Mile “was the ultimate dream.”
Fortster now has had this dream come true twice. He won the 2005 Longacres Mile with No Giveaway at odds of 60-1, the biggest upset in the race’s history.
Five Star General was sent away as a slight $2.00 to $1 favorite last Sunday. Slew’s Tiz Whiz, who went off at $2.40 to $1, was thwarted in his bid for back-to-back Longacres Mile wins.
When Slew’s Tiz Whiz won the race by 2 3/4 lengths last year, he defeated Five Star General by 4 1/4 lengths.
Five Star General went into this year’s Longacres Mile in better form than in his three previous tries. That was a major reason I made him my top pick.
In Five Star General’s three most recent starts prior to the 2020 Longacres Mile, his Beyers were 82, 84 and 80.
In his three most recent starts prior to the 2021 Mile, his Beyers were 85, 73 and 88.
In his three most recent starts prior to the 2022 Mile, his Beyers were 85, 77 and 84.
Five Star General’s three most recent Beyers coming into the race this year were 96, 90 and 94, quite an improvement in his form prior to his three previous Longacres Mile starts.
All three of Five Star General’s Beyers in the 90s this year exceeded Slew’s Tiz Whiz’s career-best figure, the 89 he received for his 2022 Longacres Mile victory.
In last year’s Longacres Mile, Papa’s Golden Boy set a fast pace. He ran the first six furlongs in 1:08.97 before ultimately having to settle for second when overtaken in the stretch by Slew’s Tiz Whiz.
“Without Papa’s Golden Boy in the field, I’m expecting the pace not to be so fast this year,” I wrote last week. “I think Five Star General, with the savvy veteran Joe Bravo coming in from Southern California for the ride, has a very good chance to lead from start to finish.”
I was wrong in thinking Five Star General might lead from start to finish. A Man’s Man dashed immediately to the front and showed the way in the early going. That concerned me in that Five Star General had been the early leader in all three of his previous starts this year. But this was Bravo at his finest. While A Man’s Man set the early pace, that was fine with Bravo, who kept his cool and put Five Star General into comfortable stalk mode.
Five Star General took over approaching the quarter pole, bounded past the eighth pole with a two-length advantage, then maintained a clear lead the rest of the way while completing his one-mile journey in 1:34.73.
Il Bellator finished second at 4-1 in the field of 10. Slew’s Tiz Whiz ended up third, 3 3/4 lengths behind Il Bellator.
This is an example of how Beyer Speed Figures can be a useful tool for horseplayers. For his Longacres Mile performance, Five Star General recorded yet another Beyer in the 90s, this time a career-best 97.
Il Bellator went into last Sunday’s Longacres Mile with Beyers in his three starts this year of 95, 93 and 90. Again, these three figures were all higher than Slew’s Tiz Whiz’s lifetime top of 89.
Based on their Beyers this year in the 90s, it really should have come as no surprise that both Five Star General and Il Bellator outran Slew’s Tiz Whiz last Sunday. Slew’s Tiz Whiz received an 88 Beyer for his effort in this year’s Longacres Mile,
Below are Beyer Speed Figures for Longacres Mile winners going back to 1992 (run at Longacres in 1992, at Yakima Meadows in 1993-95, at Emerald Downs 1996-present):
2023 Five Star General (97)
2022 Slew’s Tiz Whiz (89)
2021 Background (82)
2020 Anothertwistafate (93)
2019 Law Abidin Citizen (96)
2018 Barkley (94)
2017 Gold Rush Dancer (97)
2016 Point Piper (103)
2015 Stryker Phd (99)
2014 Stryker Phd (97)
2013 Herbie D (100)
2012 Taylor Said (98)
2011 Awesome Gem (96)
2010 Noosa Beach (99)
2009 Assessment (94)
2008 Wasserman (90)
2007 The Great Face (91)
2006 Flamethrowintexan (101)
2005 No Giveaway (93)
2004 Adreamisborn (99)
2003 Sky Jack (105)
2002 Sabertooth (96)
2001 Irisheyesareflying (100)
2000 Edneator (104)
1999 Budroyale (106)
1998 Wild Wonder (111)
1997 Kid Katabatic (105)
1996 Isitingood (105)
1995 L.J. Express (94)
1994 Want a Winner (87)
1993 Adventuresome Love (93)
1992 Bolulight (106)
REMEMBERING JIM MURRAY
The late Jim Murray is regarded by many to be the greatest sports columnist of all time.
“There was never anybody like Murray. Never will be,” former Los Angeles Times sports editor Bill Dwyre wrote in that newspaper Wednesday (Aug. 16). “He was part sports columnist, part Don Rickles and part Socrates. He wrote for The Times for 37 years and won his Pulitzer for commentary in his 30th year. The general reaction to that, at the paper, and around Los Angeles, was: What took the Pulitzer people so long? The problem was, sportswriters didn’t win Pulitzers, except if they worked for the New York Times. Still don’t. Only a writer the caliber of Murray could break the East Coast stranglehold. Now, the New York Times doesn’t even have a sports section. Ponder that, Pulitzer people.”
Dwyer explained the reason for remembering Murray in Wednesday’s Times.
“Wednesday is a reminder of a day that will live in infamy in the sports department of the Los Angeles Times. Make that the entire city,” Dwyre wrote. “It was on Aug. 16, 1998, that Jim Murray died. That’s an unthinkable 25 years ago.”
Dwyer cited a number of examples of what he described as Murray’s “legendary one-liners.” For instance, one time after Murray visited the state of Washington, he wrote: “The only trouble with Spokane as a city is that there is nothing to do after 10 o’clock. In the morning.”
I couldn’t help chuckling at that, especially as one who grew up in Spokane.
When I was working as a Daily Racing Form writer at the Southern California tracks in the 1980s, Murray would show up from time to time in the press box. He almost always would be on hand for a big race, like a Santa Anita Handicap or a Hollywood Gold Cup, or if Bill Shoemaker or Laffit Pincay Jr. were on the threshold of one of their many milestones.
In those years, a big race often was won by a horse trained by Charlie Whittingham. After the race, Whittingham would be brought up to the press box to be interviewed by the media. This, I assure you, was not something Whittingham liked doing. He did so grudgingly.
After seeing Whittingham go through this routine on a regular basis, I eventually noticed a trick the trainer had come up with to make sure that he would spend the least amount of time in the press box as possible.
Someone from the track’s publicity department invariably would ask Whittingham if he wanted anything to drink. He would say something like, “Sure, a Coke…and a cup.” He then would pour a less-than-robust portion of Coke into the cup.
While Whittingham answered question after question, he would keep taking a drink from time to time until the cup was empty. The empty cup was Whittingham’s signal to immediately end the press conference. It was as if an alarm sounded. He would stand up and say, “Thanks a lot, fellows,” and start heading for the exit. There were only two exceptions to this rule. If either Joe Hirsch of the Daily Racing Form or Jim Murray happened to ask him a question at that point, Whittingham would stay just a little bit longer. But if any of the rest of us in the media asked Whittingham a question after there was no Coke left in the cup, it was adios.
About Shoemaker, Murray once wrote: “He rode a horse the way Joe Dimaggio caught a fly ball. Watching Shoe ride a horse was like watching Gene Kelly dance or Gaugin paint.”
About the Kentucky Derby, Murray once wrote: “The Derby isn’t just a horse race, any more than Elizabeth Taylor is just a woman, the Taj Mahal a building or Mt. Everest a hill.”
Scott Ostler, formerly of the Los Angeles Times and now an 11-time California sportswriter of the year with the San Francisco Chronicle, put it so well for all of us who toil as writers: “You can’t write like Murray any more than you can sing like Sinatra.”
In the book “Landaluce: The Story of Seattle Slew’s first champion,” author Mary Perdue recalled Murray addressing what might have been if the Landaluce had been able to run in the Triple Crown classics in 1983 instead of dying not long before she would have turned 3.
“She might not only have been Horse of the Year but Horse of the Half Century,” Murray wrote.
In 1990, Hollywood Park honored the sports columnist by adding the Jim Murray Handicap to its stakes schedule. Following Murray’s death in 1998, the race became the Jim Murray Memorial Handicap.
Kent Desormeaux referenced Murray after winning the 2002 Jim Murray Memorial Handicap in come-from-behind fashion aboard Skipping.
“I remember reading an article by Jim about how he was infatuated with Bill Shoemaker because Shoe was so silky smooth,” Desormeaux said. “This horse couldn’t have given me a smoother ride. It was nice and poetic, like the way Jim Murray wrote.”
Unfortunately, the Jim Murray Memorial Handicap was one of the many stakes races lost when Hollywood Park closed for good following its 2013 meeting.
While it’s true that there no longer is a stakes race named after Jim Murray to help keep his memory alive, for any of us who had the pleasure to read his masterfully crafted columns, he will never be forgotten.
MY LATEST 3-YEAR-OLD MALE RANKINGS
Below is my current Top 10 in the 3-year-old male division:
Rank Horse
1. Forte
2. Geaux Rocket Ride
3. Arcangelo
4. Mage
5. Saudi Crown
6. Arabian Lion
7. Arabian Knight
8. Angel of Empire
9. National Treasure
10. Scotland
LONGINES BREEDERS’ CUP CLASSIC RANKINGS
Forte, last year’s Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old male and recent winner of Saratoga’s Grade II Jim Dandy Stakes, again holds the top spot this week in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings.
This year’s Breeders’ Cup will be held at Santa Anita on Nov. 3-4. The $6 milllion Classic will be on Nov. 4.
The Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings are determined by a panel of voters comprised of members of the Breeders’ Cup Racing/Secretaries Panel, international racing and sports media, plus racing analysts.
The rankings will be updated weekly through Oct. 10.
The Top 10 in this week’s rankings are below:
Rank Points Horse (First-Place Votes)
1. 294 Forte (19)
2. 226 White Abarrio (1)
3. 222 Geaux Rocket Ride (3)
4. 211 Mage (1)
5. 193 Arcangelo (1)
6. 109 Defunded (2)
7. 106 Rattle N Roll (3)
8. 71 Zandon
9. 66 Art Collector
10. 56 Proxy
TOP 10 IN THIS WEEK’S NTRA TOP THOROUGHBRED POLL
Following Casa Creed’s win in Saratoga’s Grade I Fourstardave Handicap last Saturday (Aug. 12), he cracks the Top 10 this week in the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll at No. 8.
Casa Creed also won the 2022 Fourstardave. After winning last year’s Fourstardave, however, he did not crack the Top 10. Casa Creed ranked No. 12, behind No. 1 Life Is Good, No. 2 Flightline (looking back, it’s hard to believe he wasn’t in the top spot), No. 3 Jackie’s Warrior, No. 4 Clairiere, No. 5 Epicenter, No. 6 Country Grammer, No. 7 Nest, No. 8 Olympiad, No. 9 Hot Rod Charlie, No. 10 Regal Glory and No. 11 Golden Pal.
Below is the Top 10 in this week’s NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll:
Rank Points Horse (First-Place Votes)
1. 325 Elite Power (25)
2. 253 Cody’s Wish (6)
3. 235 Nest
4. 169 White Abarrio
5. 156 Up to the Mark
6. 150 Clairiere
7. 124 Forte (2)
8. 70 Casa Creed
9. 41 In Italian
10. 39 Goodnight Olive
10. 39 West Will Power
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